


Cold Awakenings

by VampireBait



Category: Dice Camera Action
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-15 13:11:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17529356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VampireBait/pseuds/VampireBait
Summary: Sooo following on the PAX episode with Evelyn and Jarlaxle I had a dream the he turned on Evelyn.After watching the latest on stream episode and suffering through a very long and quiet work day I decided the dream deserved a fanfic.So here’s my “what if” AU of the Ring of Winter fallout.





	Cold Awakenings

“I’m afraid, I cannot let you leave my Lady.” 

It was the morning after the night before. So Evelyn had heard it was called by some. 

The night before had been a dream. Jarlaxle had been charming and attentive, he’d listened to her talk about Lathander late into the night and let her sleep soundly in his bed until morning when she’d woken to find him in a dark mood staring out of the porthole towards Waterdeep.

She’d greeted him happily and gotten only a nod in response. When she’d started to search for her gear he’d refused to tell her where he’d put it. 

Worse, her boots and her prosthetic were no where in sight. 

She sat on the bed staring at him in mounting confusion. Evelyn rarely let anyone see her without her prosthetic, purely for vanity’s sake. She wouldn’t have minded if Diath, Strix or Paultin did but here, under Jarlaxle’s suddenly unfriendly expression she felt vulnerable.

“And just how do you expect to stop me?”

Jarlaxle regarded at her sadly, she looked on in dawning horror as he held up her flying boots in one hand and her prosthetic leg in the other. 

In one smooth movement he turned the open porthole and cast all three out and into the sea.

Evelyn screamed. “NOOO!” she leapt up from the bed throwing herself at the Drow, forgetting herself in her desperation. A scream of shock tore from her throat as she put down the leg that wasn’t there and fell bodily on to the floor, her hands still outstretched and tears in her eyes, as her boots and leg fell from his hands.

She lay where she fell, sobbing quietly as Jarlaxle approached. She didn’t have the will to fight him as he picked her up and placed her gently on the side of the bed.

“Why?!” she asked finally.

He sighed as her eyes burned into him. 

Evelyn didn’t know what hate was, had never felt it, but somewhere in the darkest part of her heart it began to grow for the man sitting beside her.

“Because, sweet Evelyn. My eyes and ears in Waterdeep and beyond have warned me of something. Something is about to happen, and your little band will be in the center of it. I may very well have just saved your life.”

Evelyn swiped angrily at her tears and slapped him hard across the face. Jarlaxle took the blow calmly.

“You think you’re saving me?!!” Evelyn was seething with anger, she’d lost control like this only once before, when faced with an old dwarfen toy maker. 

“You’ve kidnapped me! Taken my Lathander given free will and now you’re telling me you’re keeping me from helping my friend’s too?!”

Jarlaxle reached out to wipe the tears from her cheeks but she angrily swiped his hand away. 

Evelyn gripped the lavish gold headboard of his bed and pulled herself up to standing on her remaining leg. 

She was out of practice, never having need to move around without her boots or prosthetic to help, this felt awkward and alien to her. 

Jarlaxle rose to help as she tried to hop across the room receiving another slap for his trouble as he attempted to lift her back into his arms.

“You keep your hands off me!” she reached the door not caring how ridiculous she looked hopping awkwardly across the room. 

The handle turned in her grasp but the door remained closed fast.

Jarlaxle crossed to the table behind her pouring two glasses of wine. “Please, Lady Evelyn, the more you resist this the more miserable you will become. The sun does not dim though the clouds close tightly around it.” he held out the wine glass to her as she turned slowly to glare at him.

“I suppose you’ve done away with my weapons also?” she demanded. 

He simply inclined his head in acknowledgment. Evelyn raised her hands to her eyes, anger giving away to despair. 

She’d never felt so weak as in that moment. She wasn’t even wearing her armour.

Silently she muttered a prayer of apology to Lathander for her blind foolishness.

The temperature in the room dropped suddenly. So suddenly that it was like someone had dossed Evelyn in freezing water. She gasped in shock seeing her breath cloud before her eyes. The Eyecatcher gave a sudden lurch. Above their heads feet pounded on the deck, followed by muffled shouts of alarm from the crew and captain. Evelyn looked to Jarlaxle whose head was turned towards the porthole.

“And so you see.” he said motioning to the glass. Before her eyes the porthole began to frost over. “I was not mistakenly informed.”

A roar, deafening even from their position below deck and far out into the harbor, shook the boat. Evelyn felt it reverberate through her chest. The cold clutched at her throat bringing with it memories. 

Dread twisted in her stomach.

Paultin.

His name rang like a bell in her heart.

Jarlaxle had turned back to regard her knodding as he saw understanding dawn on her face. 

“The Ring of Winter, has found its way back to its Master.”

Evelyn turned back towards the door, hammering on it with her fists, then throwing herself bodily against the wood. Her single leg left her little stability, whereas before a door like this would have given easily under her assault she had no true anchor to throw her strength at it.

“Paultin!!!” She screamed it as though he could hear her. Knowing that he wouldn’t.

Jarlaxle frowned at her taking a delicate sip of his wine. 

“Well, I can see reason has left you. I shall as well.” He placed his hat on his head and bowed towards her. 

“I have business in Waterdeep. The crew will see to your needs, but you are to remain confined here until your senses return to you.”

He made a movement as though to kiss her farewell but she bodily threw herself back against the door. Anger flashed in his eyes momentarily, but he gathered himself and with a nod vanished, leaving Evelyn alone.

It was days before Jarlaxle allowed her to leave his room and venture on deck. 

Lathander remained silent to her many prayers. Evelyn dispaired as she felt a veil fall between her and her god, his presence diminished as it had been in Barovia. At night she dreamnt of her friends, seeing their faces everytime she closed her eyes. 

Jarlaxle had made her a crude crutch to walk with as she would not allow him to touch her even to help her get above decks.

The ship was covered in snow, the crew long since given up sweeping the deck clear by this point. Above Evelyn’s head thick black clouds covered the sky, cutting her off from the Sun she so longed to see. But it was the sight of the harbor and the city beyond that stole her breath. 

From the ship’s railing she could see that all of Waterdeep harbor was frozen solid. The ship trapped in the ice at an odd, listing angle.

The city was white over and dark. The buildings covered in ice and snow. There was no sign of life or movement at the docks. 

Even the steady hum of noise that had been ever present had been stilled. 

In her head she heard Diath’s voice, long ago, sadness and fear in his eyes as he described his nightmare. 

Waterdeep frozen, Strix a pile of rats and Evelyn- “you weren’t anywhere…”

“I’m here.” She whispered into the wind, her eyes on the city, wondering if Diath and Strix were even still alive out there. 

Jarlaxle had merely shrugged when she’d asked, not knowing, or caring, whether they were or not. 

His patience with her was growing thin, she could tell. She didn’t care. 

That night she sat on the edge of Jarlaxle’s bed. They shared it now, if only to ward away the constant cold. 

At first he’d tried to bring her round, hoping she’d give in to his seductions, but Evelyn’s heart was as cold to him as the ever present winter around them. She took the warmth he offered but allowed nothing else.

He lay slumbering beside her now as she gathered her crutch and shawl and left the room, climbing the stairway up to the main deck. 

It was late, the crew kept a watch in the crows nest but there was only one other hand on deck curled up under a makeshift shelter with a brazier for warmth. Evelyn ignored them both. She stood at the bow, still turned to Waterdeep and wept into the night. Whispering unheard prayers to Lathander, then just to her lost family. The wind picked up, taking her voice across the frozen sea and away from the crewmen who would surely tell Jarlaxle everything she said.

Snow began to fall from the sky, the wind whipping it up and around her until she could no longer see the distant harbour. Her tears froze on her cheeks.

With the howling wind blowing through the riggings above her she didn’t notice the rhythmic beat of enormous wings in the darkness, nor the crystaline ringing of ice crashing against itself. Not until she looked up to see a dragon, made of ice flying across the water towards the Eyecatcher.

Evelyn stared at it, her heart pounding in her chest, hope and dread warring against each other as she saw the shadow of a single rider on its back.

The crewman in the crows nest stirred and reached for the alarm bell with a shout. The dragon opened its maw and silently sent a deadly burst of cold across him as it swooped past. From her position Evelyn could see a frozen arm still reaching for the bell.

She could have cried out. Could have screamed and raised the alarm herself but she kept her silence watching as the beast circled the ship sweeping back in a wide arc to bring it next to the bow on which she stood.

The beast hovered there with ease, rising and falling with the steady beat of its wings. The snow was still falling heavily obscurring her vision as she tried to make out the figure on its back.

They stood up and jumped the few feet to the deck raising their arms like a gymnast. The snow immediately stopped, the air clearing in a bubble around Evelyn and the visitor. She recognised Paultin’s hut immediately.

“There you are!” Evelyn blinked, her heart stopping at the sound of his voice. She forced herself to look up into the face of the man before her. Paultin Seppa, stood before her, still wearing his beloved party coat. His hair seemed darker but that could have been because of the constant cold blue glow emanating from his eyes. Around Evelyn the temperature began to rise. It had been so long since she’d felt any true warmth that her fingers and limbs ached with it. 

Paultin crossed the space between them, a huge grin on his face and his arms open wide in greeting. Evelyn fell into his embrace with relief clutching on to his chest despite the deathly cold rolling off him. She could see vivid blue vein on his skin but she didn’t care anymore.

“I’ve been looking for you for days Evelyn! Days! Did you see my dragon?! How cool is she?!” 

Evelyn shivered as the voice washed over her. If she closed her eyes and dismissed the chill of the arms holding her then she could pretend everything was alright. She could let herself believe she was home again.

When she didn’t answer him Paultin’s excitement seemed to calm and he allowed the silence to stretch between them brushing his hands through her hair. At length he pulled her away keeping his hands on her shoulders as he looked her over. His gaze settled on her missing limb and his eyes flashed in sudden understanding.

“I see...that’s why.” 

Evelyn gasped as something gripped the stump of her missing leg. Paultin steadied her as she swayed.

“Ah, ah best to stand still Evie, unless you want to be lopsided.”

Ice formed around the stump then began to spread down towards the deck. A leg, the twin of her other, replaced the one lost. It shone with haunting blue light as it formed until she felt herself standing on two legs once more. Her stump had gone unpleasantly numb but the relief of being able to take a real step at last overshadowed that. 

Evelyn felt strong again as she walked a few feet away to the edge of the bubble. At last she turned towards Paultin her eyes brimming with tears. He was smiling triumphantly at her.

“I can even get you flying again.” He snapped his fingers and ice wings sprouted from her ankles.

Evelyn ran back to him throwing her arms around him her head buried in his cold neck. She burst into tears telling him how much she’d missed him, how scared and helpless she’d felt. He let her cry talking to her soothingly through her sobs. 

“Hey, none of that. I got you.”

Evelyn pulled away at last. “D-Diath, Strix, the kids-“

Paultin smiled. “All safe, all home. Squiddly loves Bessie.”

“Bessie?”

He gestured to the dragon hovering patiently off the bow.

“She’s such a good girl!” Evelyn watched as the dragon gave a puff of snowflakes smiling for the first time since all of this began.

“She is real pretty.” She said hesitantly. Still unsure what to make of all of this.

Paultin studied her carefully taking her hands he said “Look. I know that last time I had this thing I tried to kill you all. Not my finest hour.” 

Somewhere outside of the hut Evelyn started to hear the Ship’s alarm bell. Paultin frowned in annoyance, the walls of the hut turned suddenly opaque blocking them from the sight of anyone approaching.

“I understand that, that would give you pause but trust me Evelyn. I’m in control, I’m myself. I’m stronger than I was the last time I wore this.”

Beyond the hut Bessie roared. There was the sound of battle but Paultin seemed unconcerned.

“This isn’t the darkest timeline. It could be so much worse. Ok, I can’t take the ring off, but it doesn’t control me.” He gestured to the frozen world beyond the hut. “I might on a whim have made my own domain of dread and taken unquestioned Lordship of Waterdeep. But, that was all me not the ring and hardly anyone we love had to die for it.”

He sighed running a hand through his hair.

“Diath said it best, that in the Barovia we changed, Tatyana and Sergei live with Strahd, they love him and they keep him from doing anything truely terrible. That’s what we can do. That’s what we’ve been building these last few days. But it won’t work.” 

His eyes burned intently into her’s a desperate need in them she’d never seen before. 

“Not without you.”

He held out his hand. “Will you come home Evelyn? I promise I will keep you warm...and you can save me.” 

He turned his hand so the ring caught the light.

“I always could fight this thing better with you beside me. Won’t you stay close?”

Evelyn thought she heard Jarlaxle’s voice shouting somewhere in the distance. The sounds of battle ended as quickly as they had begun. Silence reigned beyond the hut except for the beat of Bessie’s wings.

Her heart was beating fast. Her leg was painfully numb with cold but she could bare it. 

The thought of home, of Diath and Strix and Paultin safe and together renewed the fire in her chest. 

Lathander was still distant, but, if this was like Barovia then helping Paultin would bring the light back, he was the Sun trapped behind the snow clouds and looking into his eyes she knew she could save him.

She reached forward taking his hand with a joyful smile. “Take me home Paultin.”

Paultin grinned and bowed, surprising her with a gentlemanly kiss on her fingers.

“I was so hoping you’d say that.”

He stood up with a flourish snapping his fingers. The hut vanished revealing the blizzard beyond. Evelyn gasped as the freezing temperatures hit her once more. 

Paultin used his body to shield her from the worst of the wind also cutting off her view of the ship as he turned her towards the waiting dragon who was where she had been before as though nothing had happened. Evelyn could have looked around Paultin to see the ship. She didn’t, but it was good to know that he would have let her. 

Whatever this new Paultin was, there was enough of everything she’d always loved about him to make her trust him. There might be dark days ahead but they were a family again. She had faith that together they could make it work.

Bessie came closer to the ship placing one long leg on the railing. Paultin offered to help Evelyn up but she declined. With a flutter of the ice wings he’d gifted her she rose into the wind, did a backflip out of pure joy to be herself again and alighted neatly on the dragons frozen back.

Paultin shook his head with a rueful smile and climbed up to settle behind her his arms encircling her small waist. 

“When we get home you’ll have to tell me how you lost your boots and we’ll see what a group of adventurers could do about getting them back.”

He reached out and gently tapped her ice limb. “I know this hurts. We’ll get you something better.”

Evelyn nodded happily settling against his chest feeling the beat of the dragons wings as it started to turn away from the ship. 

Paultin gathered the sides of his coat and closed it around her to ward off the chill. As they neared the harbour she felt his lips brush her ear as he said.

“Sooooo...that whole...you in love with me thing. Is that still...a thing? Cuz, if it is, I would be very open to exploring that as a life choice...if you’ll have me...”


End file.
